Americans United - Virginiahttps://www.au.org/our-work/grassroots/virginia
enBye, Bye Bob: Faith Can’t Save Former Va. Gov. McDonnell From Federal Prisonhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bye-bye-bob-faith-can-t-save-former-va-gov-mcdonnell-from-federal-prison
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">McDonnell’s attempts to use his faith as a shield clearly failed, and his fall is rather stunning given that he was once held up by none other than Pat Robertson as the man who would bring godly oversight to the Old Dominion.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>One-time Pat Robertson golden child Robert F. McDonnell’s fall from grace reached its conclusion yesterday as the former Virginia governor was <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/robert-f-mcdonnell-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison-in-corruption-case/2015/01/06/e51520ca-9049-11e4-ba53-a477d66580ed_story.html?hpid=z3">sentenced to two years</a> in federal prison for what has been described as “lending the prestige of the governor’s office” to a local businessman in exchange for money, trips and fancy toys.</p><p>Back in September, McDonnell was found guilty on 11 counts related to public corruption, conspiracy and bribery. His wife, Maureen, was found guilty on nine charges.</p><p>The McDonnells were accused of essentially selling influence in exchange for gifts, lavish vacations and sweetheart loans of $120,000 from a wealthy businessman named Jonnie R. Williams Sr. McDonnell is the first Virginia governor to be charged with a crime and the first convicted of one.</p><p>Given the seriousness of his crimes, and the fact that similar cases have produced far more jail time (former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted on 17 counts of corruption and is now serving a 14-year prison sentence), many felt McDonnell’s penalty was too light.</p><p>Perhaps U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer was influenced by McDonnell’s last-ditch defense. During yesterday’s sentencing hearing, McDonnell’s legal team pandered to the Religious Right, portraying the disgraced lawmaker as a pious man who lives his life according to biblical principles. They claimed he is a compassionate person who has little interest in material goods. He’s even been living with a minister(!), they noted.</p><p>At one point, McDonnell himself took the stand and promised to be a better person in the future. “I’m now 60 years old,” he told Spencer. “All of the additional days that the Lord allows me … I dedicate them to the service of others.”</p><p>McDonnell even had the gall to ask for leniency for his wife, quite the surprise given that this supposed “family values” politician <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-robert-mcdonnell-throws-his-wife-under-the-bus-at-trial/2014/08/21/664c5ebe-2971-11e4-958c-268a320a60ce_story.html">tried to pin the entire bribery scandal on her</a> during his trial.</p><p>Maybe if Spencer had heard what McDonnell had to say after the sentence was handed down, he would have given him a longer sentence. For all of his Bible thumping, McDonnell after the multi-hour hearing retained an air of defiance, saying he “never, ever betrayed my sacred oath of office” and that his “ultimate vindication” would come later through Jesus Christ.</p><p>But McDonnell’s attempts to use his faith as a shield clearly failed, and his fall is rather stunning given that he was once held up by none other than Robertson as the man who would bring godly oversight to the Old Dominion.</p><p>McDonnell had attended Robertson’s Regent University. In fact, a master’s thesis he wrote while there briefly <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/october-2009-church-state/people-events/regent-university-thesis-becomes-hot-issue-in">became a campaign issue</a>.</p><p>McDonnell won office easily and quickly got to work establishing <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/virginia-reels-religious-right-gov-dances-to-pat-robertson%E2%80%99s-tune">godly rule in Virginia</a>. Speaking at Regent, he vowed to bring “servant leadership” to the state.</p><p>“It reflects those words of Jesus, who said that the greatest among you is the servant of all, and the fact that he came not to be served, but to serve,” McDonnell said. “I think that is the model for servant leadership.”</p><p>So what was this “servant leadership”? It looked a lot like the same old theocratic rule so beloved by the Religious Right.</p><p>McDonnell never missed an opportunity to stand up for God. When state officials decided that police chaplains should use non-sectarian prayers at public events, <a href="http://hamptonroads.com/2010/04/mcdonnell-rescinds-state-police-prayer-policy-referring-jesus">McDonnell rescinded</a> the order. McDonnell worked overtime to block access to legal abortion and was tagged <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/virginia-gov-bob-mcdonnell-signs-virginia-ultrasound-bill/">“Gov. Ultrasound.”</a> He insisted on <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/adopting-bias-new-va-rules-seek-to-safeguard-%E2%80%98faith-based%E2%80%99-bigotry">new rules</a> allowing tax-funded “faith-based” adoption agencies to deny services to anyone who failed to meet a strict theological litmus test. He signed a law mandating that public colleges in Virginia give funding to student groups even if they discriminate on religious grounds. McDonnell favored religious education over public schools and named a voucher advocate as education secretary. He shifted funding for sex education from comprehensive programs to “abstinence-only” approaches, even though research shows that those programs aren’t effective and are often steeped in religion.</p><p>McDonnell spearheaded the drive for a state constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage. Voters approved it, but a federal appeals court invalidated the ban last year. During the push for the amendment, McDonnell even appeared on Robertson’s “700 Club” to lobby for it. <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/pat-loves-bobby-robertson-mcdonnell-push-marriage-amendment">McDonnell told</a> Robertson, “From the Garden of Eden to 2006, we’ve believed that marriage is between a man and a woman. But because of some social trends out there and some court decisions, Pat, as you know, marriage is under attack.”</p><p>Robertson had originally blamed McDonnell’s problems on some kind of <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/no-one-spins-conspiracy-theory-tv-preacher-pat-robertson">conspiracy</a> involving President Barack Obama (naturally). But today he shifted gears a bit and joined McDonnell in tossing his wife under the bus.</p><p>“He’s like Adam, you know, Eve was the one that got seduced by the snake but Adam ate the fruit and I think Bob McDonnell got seduced,” Robertson said. </p><p>In reality, the story here is simple: McDonnell broke the law. Now he’s going to pay for his actions – and no amount of wrapping himself in religion could have prevented that.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/robert-f-mcdonnell">Robert F. McDonnell</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pat-robertson">Pat Robertson</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/regent-university">Regent University</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/maureen-mcdonnell">Maureen McDonnell</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/rod-blagojevich">Rod Blagojevich</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/james-r-spencer">James R. Spencer</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/virginia">Virginia</a></span></div></div>Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:55:18 +0000Simon Brown10806 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bye-bye-bob-faith-can-t-save-former-va-gov-mcdonnell-from-federal-prison#commentsBostic v. Schaeferhttps://www.au.org/our-work/legal/lawsuits/bostic-v-schaefer
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><div>In 2006, Virginia amended its state constitution to limit the legal definition of marriage to that between a man and a woman, and also prohibited the creation or recognition of civil unions short of marriage. Support for the amendment came primarily from religious groups, and its supporters couched their arguments in religious terms. In July 2013, two same-sex couples challenged Virginia’s marriage ban. The federal trial court ruled in their favor, and the state appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.</div><div> </div><div>In May 2014, we joined with the Anti-Defamation League and a broad array of religious and cultural groups to submit an <a href="https://www.au.org/files/Virginia%20Marriage.pdf">amicus brief</a> in support of the couples. We argue that the marriage ban violates both the Establishment Clause and the Equal Protection Clause, for several reasons. First, history and campaign materials demonstrate that Virginia passed its same-sex marriage bans to entrench one religious tradition’s definition of marriage in law. Second, religious communities vary in their opinions as to the question of same-sex marriage. Third, marriage bans are not justified by the goal of protecting religious liberty; to the contrary, invalidating these marriage bans would protect the religious liberty of traditions that embrace marriage equality.</div><div> </div><div>The case was argued in May 2014, and we await the court’s decision.</div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-federal-court field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Federal Court:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/federal-courts/us-court-appeals-fourth-circuit">U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit</a></div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/marriage">Marriage</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-aus-role field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">AU&#039;s Role:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/au-role/amicus">Amicus</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-involvement-begin field-type-date field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">AU&#039;s Involvement Began:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">May 2014</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-case-status field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Status:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/court-case-status/ongoing">Ongoing</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-chapter field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Chapters:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/chapters/central-virginiagreater-richmond">Central Virginia/Greater Richmond</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/chapters/virginia">Virginia</a></div></div></div><span class="field field-name-field-address field-type-addressfield field-label-above" ><span class="field-label">Address:&nbsp;</span><span class="field addressfield field-item" ><span class="addressfield-citystate">VA</span></span></span>Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:17:25 +0000Anonymous10268 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/our-work/legal/lawsuits/bostic-v-schaefer#commentsName Games: Judge Formerly Affiliated With Liberty University Delays Transgender Woman’s Name-Change Requesthttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/name-games-judge-formerly-affiliated-with-liberty-university-delays
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">This all just goes to show what happens when Christian fundamentalists are allowed to let their personal religious beliefs impact other people’s lives. It sounds like Judge Yeatts has no legal basis for denying Fialkowski’s request, so instead he’s using dogma as an excuse.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Jerry Falwell Jr’s Liberty University has long <a href="https://au.org/church-state/december-2008-church-state/people-events/liberty-university-students-may-be-preparing">sought to rule the town of Lynchburg, Va.</a>, and while it never quite succeeded in a full-on takeover, fundamentalists associated with the school still wield considerable influence there.</p><p>Just ask a transgender woman named Juliana Fialkowski.</p><p>Fialkowski, a 24-year-old who just completed one year of hormone treatment, sought to legally change her name in December 2013. After making that request, Fialkowski was told she would have to <a href="http://www.gayrva.com/arts-culture/lynchburg-transwoman-denied-name-change-by-former-liberty-university-lawyer-turned-judge/">go before a Lynchburg Circuit Court judge</a>.</p><p>According to GayRVA.com, Fialkowski met with Judge F. Patrick Yeatts, a former attorney for Liberty in the 1990s and ex-staffer for state Sen. Stephen Newman (R-Lynchburg), author of Virginia’s amendment that bans same-sex marriage.</p><p>Given Yeatts’ background, the meeting, unsurprisingly, did not go well.</p><p>During the hearing Yeatts quizzed Fialkowski about personal matters. He asked about her medical history, whether or not she has had gender reassignment surgery and how far along she is through her transition process. Not one of those questions seems relevant to Fialkowski’s name change request, which should really only be denied in cases of fraud. In fact, as GayRVA notes, Virginia has some of the most lax name-change regulations in the country. Normally all it takes to get a new name is to fill out paperwork and pay a fee.</p><p>Yeatts ultimately told Fialkowski that her case was under “extra scrutiny” (gee, you don’t say), and that he would spend some time weighing her request. </p><p>Despite getting the runaround from a fundamentalist judge, Fialkowski has no plans to quit. She has a second hearing scheduled for tomorrow, and this time she has lawyered up.</p><p>“There is nothing in the statute that requires the applicant provide medical information,” Fialkowski’s lawyer, Katie Fletcher, told GayRVA. “The application merely requires some demographic information (e.g. name, address, parent’s names, prior name changes etc.) and whether or not you are a felon or are incarcerated. The statute indicates that the name change will be granted unless the name change is being done for a fraudulent purpose or infringes upon someone else’s rights.” </p><p>GayRVA said it contacted a Lynchburg legal clerk who said Fialkowski should have been told why her request was denied, yet that did not happen.</p><p>Fialkowski is, sadly, the second transgender person seeking a name change in Virginia to be denied in 2014. Another biased judge in Louisa County also asked to see medical records before OK’ing a request.</p><p>Unfortunately, this problem of denials for transgender name changes is <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-s-in-a-name-okla-judge-who-denied-transgender-name-changes-on-biblical">not limited to Virginia</a>. On two separate occasions, one in 2011 and another in 2012, Oklahoma County District Judge Bill Graves refused to permit two people who were born male to change their names to ones that are traditionally female because doing so “is fraudulent.” His decisions were later overturned on appeals to higher courts.</p><p>This all just goes to show what happens when Christian fundamentalists are allowed to let their personal religious beliefs impact other people’s lives. It sounds like Yeatts has no legal basis for denying Fialkowski’s request, so instead he’s using dogma as an excuse.</p><p>Apparently no one told Yeatts, but the U.S. Constitution isn’t based on the Bible or his personal beliefs. He would be wise to stop playing legal games motivated by theology because sooner or later he’s going to lose.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Institutional Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (Including Military, Prisons &amp; Healthcare)</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/liberty-university">Liberty University</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/julia-fialkowski">Julia Fialkowski</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/judge-f-patrick-yeatts">Judge F. Patrick Yeatts</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/judge-bill-graves">Judge Bill Graves</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/virginia">Virginia</a></span></div></div>Thu, 22 May 2014 14:55:58 +0000Simon Brown10049 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/name-games-judge-formerly-affiliated-with-liberty-university-delays#commentsBedrosian Doubles Down: Va. County Supervisor Maintains Stance That Meetings Should Open With Christian Prayers Onlyhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bedrosian-doubles-down-va-county-supervisor-maintains-stance-that-meetings
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Supervisor Bedrosian is woefully uninformed about the U.S. Constitution.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Everyone’s favorite county supervisor, Al Bedrosian of Roanoke, Va., simply will not give up on the idea that America was founded as a “Christian nation.” But as Bedrosian discovered recently, his zeal for a Christians-only government is not going over well even with his fellow Republicans.</p><p>During a <a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/al-bedrosian-sticks-to-position-on-prayer/article_dbc5e42c-da2e-11e3-a9ba-001a4bcf6878.html">Monday news conference</a> in which Bedrosian sought to wring every last second from his 15 minutes of fame, he reiterated his belief that county board meetings should start only with invocations delivered by Christians and that he is empowered to exclude other faiths from participating. </p><p>“Whether someone is invited to pray or chant in our meetings has nothing to do with our freedom to pray in America,” Bedrosian said, according to the <em>Roanoke Times</em>.</p><p>He added that non-Christians are free to have their prayers heard elsewhere besides board meetings.</p><p>Bedrosian has been on <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/christian-prayers-for-a-christian-nation-in-the-wake-of-the-supreme-court-s">an extended rant</a> ever since the U.S. Supreme Court <a href="https://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-disappointed-that-us-supreme-court-ruled-in-favor-of-sectarian">decided 5-4</a> that local government boards have the right to open their meetings with sectarian prayers. After that decision was announced, Bedrosian said the ruling “proved” America is meant to be a “Christian nation” and he was going to bar anyone who isn’t Christian from saying a pre-meeting prayer.</p><p>“I think America, pretty much from Founding Fathers on, I think we have to say more or less that we’re a Christian nation with Christian ideology,” Bedrosian told the <em>Times</em> last week. “If we’re a Christian nation, then I would say that we need to move toward our Christian heritage.”</p><p>When Americans United got wind of this plan, <a href="https://au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-says-va-county-board-may-not-adopt-a-prayer-policy-that">we sent a letter to the county board</a> instructing that the board of supervisors may not change its current non-sectarian prayer policy to one that permits only Christians to deliver official invocations before meetings, even in the wake of the <em>Town of Greece v. Galloway</em> decision.</p><p>“In vowing to discriminate against non-Christians, Supervisor Bedrosian ignores what the Supreme Court actually said in <em>Galloway</em>,” the letter said. “Although upholding the challenged prayer policy, the Court also made clear that the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause prohibits legislative bodies from excluding non-Christian prayer givers or otherwise discriminating in selection.” </p><p>Fortunately other leaders in Roanoke sought to distance themselves from Bedrosian – even his fellow Republicans.</p><p>Former Roanoke County Republican Party Chairman Mike Bailey said Bedrosian is off base and does not speak for the GOP.</p><p>“I don’t want to get into this, but America is not a Christian nation,” Bailey wrote in an email to the other members of the Board of Supervisors. “Our founding fathers wanted America to be a nation of freedom built upon Christian values. There is a difference. I hope Roanoke knows that Al does not speak for the Republican Party on this issue.”</p><p>Roanoke County Republican Committee Chairman David Suetterlein also declined to adopt Bedrosian’s extreme position, saying correctly that the First Amendment protects everyone.</p><p>Two other Republicans on the board – Chairman Joe McNamara and Supervisor Jason Peters – have also said they do not agree with Bedrosian’s discriminatory viewpoint.</p><p>“We’re totally against it,” Peters said. “I am Christian, and I don’t hide behind that, but I’m both offended and it bothers me that he’s misrepresenting the Christian community.”</p><p>Peters also told the <em>Times </em>that Bedrosian has embarrassed Roanoke County.</p><p>No argument there. Bedrosian is woefully uninformed about the U.S. Constitution, which does not allow any government to adopt a Christians-only policy.</p><p>Instead of holding press conferences that make him look like a clueless extremist, maybe Bedrosian should spend some time reading about the First Amendment.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/prayer-at-government-events-and-legislative-meetings">Prayer at Government Events and Legislative Meetings</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/roanoke-county-board-of-supervisors">Roanoke County Board of Supervisors</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/al-bedrosian">Al Bedrosian</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/town-of-greece-v-galloway">Town of Greece v. Galloway</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/virginia">Virginia</a></span></div></div>Tue, 13 May 2014 17:38:39 +0000Simon Brown9946 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bedrosian-doubles-down-va-county-supervisor-maintains-stance-that-meetings#commentsParade Of Religious Right Extremists: Va. Town’s Religious Freedom Celebration Dishonors Vision Of Thomas Jefferson https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/parade-of-religious-right-extremists-va-town-s-religious-freedom
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Thomas Jefferson wanted only three of his many accomplishments noted on his <a href="http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/jeffersons-gravestone">grave’s headstone</a>, and one of them was his authorship of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.</p><p>Many Americans aren’t so familiar <a href="http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/thomas-jefferson">with this document</a>, which Jefferson drafted in Fredericksburg, Va., in 1777 – but they should be. The statute declared that Virginians could not be forced to pay taxes to or support a church against their will and guaranteed freedom of worship for all faiths. It had the effect of ending the official establishment of the Anglican Church in Virginia and codified the idea of religious freedom as an essential human right.</p><p>The statute, which became law in Virginia in 1786, is considered the forerunner of the First Amendment. It’s a pretty big deal because without it we might not have church-state separation enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. </p><p>Given the importance of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, the anniversary of its signing is commemorated in Fredericksburg with “Religious Freedom Day,” <a href="http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2014/01/10/religious-freedom-events-sunday/">an annual parade and celebration </a>sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization.</p><p>Religious Freedom Day sounds great, right? Not when the Knights of Columbus are involved. <a href="http://fredericksburg.patch.com/groups/weekend-planner/p/religious-freedom-day-41st-annual-celebration-in-fredericksburg">This year’s celebration</a>, which took place Jan. 12, featured a proclamation by Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw as well as an invocation given by the Rev. Don Rooney of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, and a benediction delivered by the Rev. Robert Koehler of Redeemer Lutheran Church. The event was even emceed by state Del. Bobby Orrock (R-Caroline County).</p><p>Given that representatives of two Christian denominations were the only religious figures who participated in the ceremony, this doesn’t seem like a very inclusive event.</p><p>But worst of all was the choice of keynote speaker, William J. Murray. He is the head of the Religious Freedom Coalition in Washington, D.C., and given his extreme views, Jefferson would not have approved of this selection.</p><p>Murray is the son of the late Madalyn Murray O’Hair, who brought one of the cases that spurred the U.S. Supreme Court to get government out of the school prayer business. But Murray, a former atheist who converted to evangelical Christianity, isn’t a big fan of the U.S. Supreme Court cases (<em>Engel v. Vitale</em> and <em>Abington v. Schempp</em>) that barred coercive prayer from the classroom in the 1960s. In fact, he blames those rulings for all sorts of bad things.</p><p>In one <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/wicked-words-religious-right-leaders-blame-newtown-shooting-on-church-state">especially low moment</a>, Murray exploited the tragic 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Conn., to push his school-prayer agenda. He didn’t blame Adam Lanza for taking the lives of his own mother and 26 others, including 20 children. Instead, the Religious Right activist said it’s lack of school-sponsored prayer that led to the tragedy.</p><p>“In the vast majority of America’s public schools, the authority of God has been replaced with the authority of the iron fist of government,” he said. “Morals? Without the authority of God, there are no morals, and none are taught in the public schools today. The ethics that are taught are situational, perhaps the same situational ethics that led to the logic that caused the tragic shootings in Newtown.”</p><p>During his address on Sunday, Murray wasn’t at his most unhinged, but he did speak of the supposed power atheists have to control minds, and he bashed alleged public support for Islamic schools and carped about same-sex marriage.</p><p>When you add it all up, this celebration sounds like something of a gathering for the Religious Right and its allies. Humanists are allowed only token participation. While the Knights of Columbus are allowed to march in the parade in full uniform, humanist groups are forbidden from wearing anything to identify themselves and they are stationed at the back of the parade line.</p><p>This year, the Fredericksburg Coalition of Reason asked the Knights of Columbus if Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn could speak at the event, even if briefly. The Knights ignored the request, so Lynn was invited to speak at a local library.</p><p>Matt Jordan, a representative of the Fredericksburg Coalition for Reason, told the Fredericksburg <em>Free Lance-Star</em> that this is the third year his organization has asked to have a speaker participate in the official proceedings, and each time that request has been denied by the Knights of Columbus.</p><p>This is some “freedom” celebration. As long as the Knights of Columbus are in charge, it seems like non-Christians aren’t welcome.</p><p>It’s worth noting that the City of Fredericksburg is not listed as an official sponsor of the Religious Freedom Day celebration, but given that the Knights of Columbus surely have to get permission to parade through the streets and the fact that the mayor showed up, it’s hard to say that the local government is not connected with the event. Even if the city participates unofficially, the wrong message is sent when non-theists aren’t on equal footing.</p><p>The Knights have a habit of bringing in far-right speakers for this event. In 2003, they managed to lure Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia down from Washington, D.C. Scalia made intemperate comments about a case challenging “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance that eventually reached the high court. He had to recuse himself.</p><p>Jefferson believed very strongly in the importance of individual freedom, and that included the ability to believe – or not believe – whatever you want when it comes to religion. An event that annually brings in speakers who don’t share the Sage of Monticello’s vision is an insult to the memory of both the man and one of his most treasured accomplishments.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/history-and-origins-church-state-separation">History and Origins of Church-State Separation</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/thomas-jefferson">thomas jefferson</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/virginia-statute-religious-freedom">Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/barry-w-lynn">Barry W. Lynn</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/del-bobby-orrock">Del. Bobby Orrock</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mayor-mary-katherine-greenlaw">Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/knights-of-columbus">Knights of Columbus</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/wiliam-j-murray">WIliam J. Murray</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-freedom-coalition">Religious Freedom Coalition</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/fredericksburg-coalition-of-reason">Fredericksburg Coalition of Reason</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/virginia">Virginia</a></span></div></div>Tue, 14 Jan 2014 19:33:54 +0000Simon Brown9568 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/parade-of-religious-right-extremists-va-town-s-religious-freedom#commentsTheater Of The Absurd: Va. Preacher Sees Hindu-Themed Painting, Demands Commandments Display https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/theater-of-the-absurd-va-preacher-sees-hindu-themed-painting-demands
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The courts have said time and time again that government buildings cannot display the Ten Commandments or other devotional art in a way that sends a message of endorsement of religion. The government isn’t run according to religious law, nor are the Commandments the basis of our legal system. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The recent decision by a Virginia county government <a href="http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_7f64b260-bd03-11e2-9c2a-0019bb30f31a.html">to post the Ten Commandments in a public building</a> simply because a local theater put up a Hindu image is nothing short of puzzling.</p><p>The historic Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va., recently unveiled <a href="http://i.imgur.com/Z1SzK2I.jpg">a painting of what appears to be a Hindu deity dancing on a stage</a> as part of a celebration of the <a href="http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_d5de3a44-7000-11e2-ad8c-001a4bcf6878.html">theater’s 80th anniversary</a>. The Bristol <em>Herald Courier</em> said the painting is intended to represent multi-culturalism.</p><p>D.R. Mullins, who created the mural, which includes traditional theater symbols and a Barter Theatre sign, said he wanted to show “the theater’s global reach and its past.”</p><p>Added Mullins, “I wanted to show everybody who comes to Barter we’re not necessarily a regional theatre, we’re world famous.”</p><p>He’s right about that. <a href="http://www.bartertheatre.com/about/history.php">The theater has a long and rich history</a>, having hosted such performers as Gregory Peck and Ernest Borgnine. But I’m not sure that it was a good idea to illustrate its international renown by incorporating a Hindu deity into its promotional artwork . The Hindu faithful might see that as disrespectful.</p><p>But that issue aside, nothing about the mural suggests a governmental endorsement of Hinduism. It’s in a theater, not a courthouse. Of course, that doesn’t seem to matter much to one local fundamentalist preacher.</p><p>At a Washington County Board of Supervisors meeting earlier this week, the Rev. Jerry Eggers of Greendale Chapel demanded the right to post a Decalogue display at the county government center or some other public building.</p><p>His reasoning? He claims the Hindu-inflected painting at the theater is infringing on America’s Christian heritage.</p><p>“We believe Christians have rights, and fair is fair,” he said, according to the <em>Herald Courier</em>. “Christianity is America’s national heritage and also the heritage of people in Washington County.”</p><p>“Christianity is our heritage,” he added. “I think the least we can do is stand for it and I plan to.”</p><p>Sadly Eggers isn’t alone. The newspaper said about 300 people showed up for the meeting to advocate for the Commandments display, and the preacher’s appeal was met with applause and “amens.”</p><p>The board was apparently swayed by the throng, deciding unanimously to allow the Decalogue posting. Even though he voted for it, board member Joseph Straten noted, correctly, that putting up a Commandments display could expose the county to expensive litigation.</p><p>“I find it unorthodox that we are willing to put our county at risk of a lawsuit,” Straten said, according to the <em>Herald Courier</em>.</p><p>Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like anyone else is too concerned with wasting taxpayer money. Eggers was appointed to a committee that will investigate the legal issues surrounding the matter, the newspaper said. It’s not hard to guess what course Eggers will recommend.</p><p>This is all rather confounding, though not unusual. The Barter probably didn’t intend to cause a stir when it put up the picture, and it certainly wasn’t trying to promote Hinduism. The theater building is owned by Abingdon city government and it gets some public funding, but the overall operation is conducted by a nonprofit foundation.</p><p>That makes for a pretty tenuous claim of governmental advancement of religion. For the county to respond by placing a Decalogue display in a county building is an extreme overreaction and a constitutional mistake. </p><p>It’s bad enough that the county board listened to the ranting of a “Christian nation” advocate. It’s worse that the supervisors then decided to let him help decide whether the Commandments display can legally be posted. That’s irresponsible given the taxpayer money at risk if a lawsuit erupts.</p><p>The courts have said time and time again that government buildings cannot display the Ten Commandments or other devotional art in a way that sends a message of endorsement of religion. The government isn’t run according to religious law, nor are the Commandments the basis of our legal system. </p><p>People like Eggers just can’t accept that reality, however, so they look for any opportunity to advance their Religious Right agenda, even turning something as innocuous as a theater mural into a constitutional crisis.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/washington-county-board-of-supervisors">Washington County Board of Supervisors</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/barter-theatre">Barter Theatre</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/dr-mullins">D.R. Mullins</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jerry-eggers">Jerry Eggers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ten-commandments-display">Ten Commandments Display</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/virginia">Virginia</a></span></div></div>Thu, 16 May 2013 19:29:03 +0000Simon Brown8377 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/theater-of-the-absurd-va-preacher-sees-hindu-themed-painting-demands#commentsConstitutional Calamity : Virginia Senate Committee Flunks Religious Liberty Testhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/constitutional-calamity-virginia-senate-committee-flunks-religious-liberty
<a href="/about/people/joseph-l-conn">Joseph L. Conn</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">It’s a recipe for classroom chaos and sectarian divisiveness in our public schools.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Should public school students have a constitutional right to skip homework assignments that conflict with their religious beliefs?</p><p>Some Virginia legislators seem to think so.</p><p>According to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-politics/va-panel-oks-measure-to-allow-prayer-religious-activities-in-all-public-places/2013/01/29/674a7d04-6a6f-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html"><em>The Washington Post</em>,</a> a Senate committee yesterday voted 8-6 to approve<a href="http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?131+ful+SJ287"> a sweeping state constitutional amendment</a> that says “no student shall be compelled to perform or participate in academic assignments or educational presentations that violate his religious beliefs.” It also allows students to “express their beliefs about religion in written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their work.”</p><p>And that’s just the tip of the Titanic-sized constitutional iceberg.</p><p>Senate Joint Resolution 287 goes on to guarantee individual or “corporate” prayer pretty much anytime and anyplace, including government premises and other public property (such as schools).</p><p>The amendment mandates that “citizens as well as elected officials and employees of the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall have the right to pray on government premises and public property so long as such prayers abide within the same parameters placed upon any other free speech under similar circumstances.”</p><p>Needless to say, the measure has the strong backing of the Family Foundation of Virginia, a leading Religious Right group. A spokesman indicated that one top goal is to get more religion back into public schools.</p><p>Now, let’s be clear. Americans United supports the free exercise of religion. We believe that all Americans should have the right to voluntarily pray, as long as they aren’t interfering with the rights of others.</p><p>What this misguided measure does, however, is try to remove the safeguards that keep public school children and governmental gatherings of all sorts from becoming captive audiences for proselytizing. </p><p>Believers have the right to preach and pray. They don’t have the right to force others to listen to those sermons and prayers at a public school or governmental gathering. The U.S. Constitution mandates the separation of church and state.</p><p>It’s also clear what legislators are hoping to achieve with the amendment’s homework provisions. They want fundamentalist Christian kids to be able to drop out of biology class if an assignment or presentation deals with evolution. Or skip health classes dealing with sexuality or programs dealing with diversity.</p><p>And they want those same kids to be able to proselytize their classmates by including evangelistic messages in oral reports and other classroom assignments.</p><p>It’s a recipe for classroom chaos and sectarian divisiveness in our public schools.</p><p>When amendment sponsor Sen. William M. Stanley Jr. (R-Franklin) says the measure is faith-neutral and he wants to protect Muslim students who might object to dissecting a fetal pig in biology class, it doesn’t pass the laugh test.</p><p>Stanley told <a href="http://www.thefranklinnewspost.com/article.cfm?ID=23901"><em>The Franklin News-Post</em> </a>that church-state separation has been misconstrued by the courts and government to remove God from the public forum.</p><p>“That is part of the moral decay in this country,” he said.</p><p>Sorry, Senator, you’re dead wrong. The federal courts have merely honored our constitutional mandate to preserve the religious freedom of every individual and to keep government out of our personal lives.</p><p>Virginia played a key role in establishing church-state separation in America. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and their allies gave us the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which led to the religious liberty provisions of the First Amendment.</p><p>It would be a shame if members of the Virginia General Assembly turned their backs on that heritage now.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/creationism-evolution">Creationism &amp; Evolution</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/school-prayer">School Prayer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-distributions-events-and-evangelism-during-school-day">Religious Distributions, Events and Evangelism during the School Day</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/prayer-at-government-events-and-legislative-meetings">Prayer at Government Events and Legislative Meetings</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/school-prayer">School Prayer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/school-proselytizing">school proselytizing</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/sen-bill-stanley">Sen. Bill Stanley</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/virginia-family-foundation">Virginia Family Foundation</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/virginia">Virginia</a></span></div></div>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:58:02 +0000Joseph L. Conn7956 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/constitutional-calamity-virginia-senate-committee-flunks-religious-liberty#commentsDisplay Drama: Virginia Official Calls Nonbelievers ‘Terrorists’https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/display-drama-virginia-official-calls-nonbelievers-terrorists
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The fact that only an atheist group has chosen to put up a display riled Ken Reid of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors like a lump of coal in his stocking.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Ken Reid of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors doesn’t think much of nonbelievers who stand up for church-state separation.</p><p>“<a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/26/leesburgs-christmas-distinctly-american/?page=all#pagebreak">It’s strictly this group of terrorists</a>,” he told the <em>Washington Times</em>. “They’re fanatics who basically want to stamp out religion in all public life and property.”</p><p>Reid’s harsh words came in response to a recent flap over holiday displays outside the Loudoun County Courthouse in Leesburg, Va. Unless you’ve got a really good memory, you may not recall the <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/skeletal-santa-clobbered-controversial-holiday-artwork-vandalized-outside">mess that has unfolded there over the past few years</a>.</p><p>In 2009, Loudoun’s Courthouse Grounds Facility Committee decided not to allow any displays outside the courthouse including a creche that was displayed there annually.</p><p>Creche fans didn’t like that idea much, so a few days later the decision was overturned and all sorts of displays were welcomed. It was an all-or-nothing approach, and that’s perfectly acceptable from a constitutional standpoint. Everyone has an equal chance to air his or her views.</p><p>But not everyone has relished this display-and-let-display policy. Last year, one exhibit – a skeleton dressed in a Santa Claus suit and hanging on a cross – vividly blasted the over-commercialization of Christmas.</p><p>That didn’t sit well with a Leesburg woman who was so upset that she disassembled the display and placed it on the ground. The work was later put back together, but was eventually vandalized again and a piece of it was stolen.</p><p>Rather than simply putting an end to this fiasco by banning all displays, the Loudoun supervisors decided that this year all displays put up by the public <a href="http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Traditional-Holiday-Display-Debate-at-Loudoun-County-Courthouse-178003021.html">must be attended by the sponsors or other persons</a>. (The board also approved a Christmas tree, Nativity scene, Santa and a menorah for the courthouse lawn.)</p><p>The <em>Washington Times </em>reported that so far, only one group has taken advantage of the new policy – American Atheists. The <em>Times</em> said that Rick Wingrove, the group’s Virginia director, will have a booth in December featuring banners with quotations from atheists like Albert Einstein and John Adams. It will also feature public readings of books such as Charles Darwin’s <em>On the Origin of Species</em>.</p><p>Wingrove received a permit for his display in November as well, the <em>Times</em> said, and has spent weekends manning his booth. He said there probably won’t be an attendant available every day in December, and so far, the display has been taken down each evening in November.</p><p>Wingrove protested the new policy mildly, telling the <em>Times</em> that fewer public displays will mean less attention for his group than in the past. In 2011, there were nine displays, the <em>Times </em>said.</p><p>“The board made it really onerous for everyone but religious groups to put up displays,” Wingrove said.</p><p>But Supervisor Reid said folks like Wingrove are terrorists, and “none of the religious organizations in the county have had any problem with what we’re doing.”</p><p>Why would they? Anyone from the community has an equal opportunity to put up a display provided they take it down at the end of the day or attend it. That’s fair.</p><p>Wingrove’s display and his mild displeasure with the board’s policy don’t exactly qualify as terrorist activities, and just throwing around the word “terrorist” is pretty reckless at a time when there are actual terrorists at work.</p><p>The fact that only an atheist group has chosen to put up a display riled Reid like a lump of coal in his stocking. It’s likely he had hoped the new rules would lead to more participation from Christian groups, and when that didn’t happen, he got pretty bitter.</p><p>It’s a shame that some people can’t stand the idea of all viewpoints being represented in a public forum, but that’s just reality.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-reid">Ken Reid</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/american-atheists">American Atheists</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/loudoun-county-board-of-supervisors">Loudoun County Board of Supervisors</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/virginia">Virginia</a></span></div></div>Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:05:09 +0000Simon Brown7783 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/display-drama-virginia-official-calls-nonbelievers-terrorists#commentsOne Step Forward, One Step Back: Va. School Board Removes Commandments, But Adds Problematic Displayhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/one-step-forward-one-step-back-va-school-board-removes-commandments-but
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Most Americans are Christians and the Christian faith certainly has influenced morality for many, but the Commandments are not the basis of constitutional law.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Sometimes government entities manage to do something right and something wrong simultaneously.</p><p>The Giles County School Board <a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/309612">voted unanimously</a> last week to remove the Ten Commandments from a hallway display at Narrows High School in Narrows, Va., according to <em>The Roanoke Times</em>.</p><p>In its place, the board elected to put up a page titled “Roots of Democracy” from a history textbook. The poster-like page mentions the English Parliament, ancient Greece and the Enlightenment as contributing to democracy in America. But it also celebrates the “Judeo-Christian roots” of American government.</p><p>The document says: “The values found in the Bible, including the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus, inspired American ideas about government and morality.”</p><p>If you’ve been following the situation in Giles County, then you know why this change was made. Last year the Virginia ACLU sued the school board on behalf of a parent and a student who wanted the Commandments display, which had been in place since 1999, removed.</p><p>In May, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Urbanski heard oral arguments in the case and ordered mediation. The <em>Times</em> reported that Urbanski suggested removing the first four commandments, which are explicitly religious in nature, and leaving the six more secular commandments.</p><p>This recent move by the board was apparently another attempt at compromise. Stephen Crampton, an attorney with Religious Right legal outfit Liberty Counsel, which represents the board, said he wasn’t sure exactly how the change would affect the lawsuit.</p><p>“That is the question, isn't it?” he said, according to the <em>Times</em>. “Ultimately, that remains to be seen. Obviously it will impact it significantly, because the lawsuit was a challenge, in effect, to that one document in the display.”</p><p>The ACLU, on the other hand, <a href="http://wtvr.com/2012/05/31/new-twist-in-virginias-10-commandments-school-controversy/">isn’t ready to speculate</a>.</p><p>“Well, I was surprised there was a change in the display,” Rebecca Glenberg, an ACLU attorney, said, according to WTVR in Richmond.</p><p>“I really can’t say whether it’s a good or a bad thing until I’ve studied it more carefully and talked to the client,” she said.</p><p>What’s disturbing here is that the school board members don’t seem to understand what the problem is: namely, government-sponsored religious indoctrination.</p><p>The new display is constitutionally dubious and also bad history and bad education. “American ideas about government” are not drawn from the Bible or the teachings of Jesus. The U.S. Constitution is a secular document that mandates a secular government. </p><p>Most Americans are Christians and the Christian faith certainly has influenced morality for many, but the Commandments are not the basis of constitutional law. After more than 225 years, it’s still legal to disrespect your parents (although you shouldn’t), covet your neighbor’s house and work on the Sabbath. And you can worship one god, twenty gods or decline to worship at all.</p><p>The Giles County School Board needs to learn to stop meddling in the religious lives of students. If parents want to teach their children about the Bible, the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus, that’s their choice. The school, however, doesn’t have that right.</p><p>Maybe the board members need to go take a basic civics class.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/liberty-counsel">Liberty Counsel</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/giles-county-schools">Giles County Schools</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/narrows-high-school">Narrows High School</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/judge-michael-urbanski">Judge Michael Urbanski</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/virginia">Virginia</a></span></div></div>Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:39:59 +0000Simon Brown7209 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/one-step-forward-one-step-back-va-school-board-removes-commandments-but#commentsVirginia Approves Tax-Credit Aid To Religious Schools https://www.au.org/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/virginia-approves-tax-credit-aid-to-religious
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The Virginia General Assembly has passed a tax-credit scheme that funnels money to religious and other private schools.</p><p>The bill would provide a 65 percent tax credit for individuals or corporations that donate money to nonprofit scholarship organizations that pay for tuition at private schools. The fund would be capped at $25 million annually.</p><p>Although the measure is supposedly aimed at low- and middle-income families, the definition of those categories would be rather generous. A child living in a household of four with an income up to $69,150 would be able to receive grant money.</p><p>Given that this bill diverts public resources to religious education, church-state separation advocates were quick to criticize it. Sen. J. Chapman Petersen (D-Fairfax) charged that the program would violate the Virginia Constitution, noting that it forbids “any appropriation of public funds, personal property, or real estate to any church or sectarian society.”</p><p>“We don’t appropriate to private entities; we give the money to public entities,” he said, according to the Capital News Service.</p><p>Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) argued that the tax credits will take even more money away from a public school system facing budget shortfalls.</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AU Bulletin</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/tuition-tax-credits-and-deductions">Tuition Tax Credits and Deductions</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-6885" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
<header>
<div class="image">
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="https://www.au.org/files/styles/cs_cover_thumbnail/public/April%202012%20Web%20cover%20large.jpg?itok=En4TuQOO" width="75" height="98" alt="" /></div></div></div> </div>
<h2><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">April</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2012</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
</a></h2>
<span class="read-more">
<a href="/church-state">Browse previous issues &raquo;</a>
</span>
</header>
<div class="content">
<div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-featured-articles" >
<h3>Featured Articles</h3>
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-featured_articles view-dom-id-f82e8e17213fea1c48f5462c76f87a4a">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/featured/is-there-a-war-on-religion">Is There A War On Religion?</a></h3>
<h4>No…. But There Is A Religious Right/Catholic Hierarchy Attack On Individual Freedom</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/featured/no-fluke">No Fluke</a></h3>
<h4>House Panel Wanted One-Sided Hearing On Religious Freedom’</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/featured/graduation-vindication">Graduation Vindication</a></h3>
<h4>Lawsuit Settlement Bars Texas School District From Promoting Religion</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/featured/good-news-bad-news">Good News, Bad News</a></h3>
<h4>New Book Exposes Religious Right’s ‘Stealth Assault’ On Public School Children</h4> </div>
<div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd views-row-last">
<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/featured/%E2%80%98absolute%E2%80%99-altercation">‘Absolute’ Altercation</a></h3>
<h4>Santorum Remarks About JFK And Church-State Separation Spark National Debate About Religion And Public Life</h4> </div>
</div>
</div> </div>
</div><div class="lower clearfix"><div class="frontpage-block frontpage-view-church-state-articles-all-articles" >
<div class="content">
<div class="view view-church-state-articles view-id-church_state_articles view-display-id-all_articles view-dom-id-3c70ef5de3646ec0e3dcc432bb26c2e2">
<div class="view-content">
<div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/editorial/serious-sectarian-siege">Serious Sectarian Siege</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/editorial/creationism-canard">Creationism Canard</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/perspective/silent-witness">Silent Witness</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-people--events"> <h3>People &amp; Events</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/school-voucher-provisions-are-removed-from-house">School Voucher Provisions Are Removed From House Education Bill</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/au-protests-religious-right-constitutional-course">AU Protests Religious Right Constitutional Course In Maryland County</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/tennessee-student-protests-promotion-of">Tennessee Student Protests Promotion Of Christianity At Her Public High School</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/bill-advocating-creationism-dies-in-indiana-house">Bill Advocating Creationism Dies In Indiana House Due To Lawsuit Concern</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/ten-commandments-bills-crop-up-in-state">Ten Commandments Bills Crop Up In State Legislatures</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/au-works-to-defend-%E2%80%98no-aid%E2%80%99-provisions-in-state">AU Works To Defend ‘No-Aid’ Provisions In State Constitutions </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/el-paso-church%E2%80%99s-recall-effort-violated-election">El Paso Church’s Recall Effort Violated Election Laws, State Court Says</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/school-aid-case-comes-to-an-end-in-south-bend-ind">School Aid Case Comes To An End In South Bend, Ind.</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-9 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/%E2%80%98personhood%E2%80%99-laws-run-afoul-of-religious-liberty">‘Personhood’ Laws Run Afoul Of Religious Liberty, AU Activists Say </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-10 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/people-events/scope-of-religious-exemptions-under-debate-in">Scope Of Religious Exemptions Under Debate In Kansas</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/senate-votes-to-table-health-care-%E2%80%98conscience%E2%80%99-law">Senate Votes To Table Health Care ‘Conscience’ Law</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/air-force-religious-motto-ignites-debate">Air Force Religious Motto Ignites Debate</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/fla-legislature-approves-backdoor-school-prayer-law">Fla. Legislature Approves Backdoor School Prayer Law</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/au-protests-ky-governor%E2%80%99s-prayer-breakfast">AU Protests Ky. Governor’s Prayer Breakfast</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/rhode-island-student-wins-prayer-banner-lawsuit">Rhode Island Student Wins Prayer Banner Lawsuit</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/virginia-approves-tax-credit-aid-to-religious">Virginia Approves Tax-Credit Aid To Religious Schools </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/catholicism-classes-at-ariz-university-questioned">Catholicism Classes At Ariz. University Questioned</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/italy-may-tax-catholic-church%E2%80%99s-for-profit-property">Italy May Tax Catholic Church’s For-Profit Property</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div> </div>
</div> </div>
</div></div> </div> <!-- /.content -->
<footer>
<ul class="links inline"><li class="comment_forbidden first last"></li>
</ul> <!-- AddThis Button BEGIN -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
<a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_tweet"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="medium"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_pill_style"></a>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#pubid=americansunited"></script>
<!-- AddThis Button END -->
</footer>
</article> <!-- /.node -->
</div></div></div>Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:11:25 +0000Susan Hansen6922 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/church-state/april-2012-church-state/au-bulletin/virginia-approves-tax-credit-aid-to-religious#comments